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[[Image:Rainbow.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A rainbow, seen from the island of Curaçao. Note: the sun is ''behind'' the photographer]]  

[[Image:Rainbow.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A rainbow, seen from the island of Curaçao]]  

As told in [[Genesis]], a '''rainbow''' is a promise from [[God]] to [[Noah]] (and all mankind) that he will never flood the [[Earth]] again.<ref>Genesis, chapters 5-9</ref> Physics can explain the appearance of rainbows accurately as the result of refraction and multiple reflections of sunlight in droplets of water, but not the feelings of awe and spirituality they inspire, as they did in William Wordsworth when he wrote:

As told in [[Genesis]], a '''rainbow''' is a promise from [[God]] to [[Noah]] (and all mankind) that he will never flood the [[Earth]] again.<ref>Genesis, chapters 5-9</ref> Physics can explain the appearance of rainbows accurately as the result of refraction and multiple reflections of sunlight in droplets of water, but not the feelings of awe and spirituality they inspire, as they did in William Wordsworth when he wrote:

Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs during a storm because the clouds block the sun. Rainbows are frequently seen after a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain.   

Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs during a storm because the clouds block the sun. Rainbows are frequently seen after a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain.   

Complete circular rainbows can be seen under the right conditions; in particular, when viewing the mists over Niagara Falls early or late in the day. CIrcular rainbows can sometimes be seen from an airplane when it flies over clouds, the rainbow actually encircling the airplane's shadow on the clouds. One way to think about the rainbow is that the mist or rain is like a projection screen, and the rainbow can only be seen where the projection screen is. When the projection screen is large enough, you see the entire circular rainbow.

Complete circular rainbows can be seen under the right conditions; in particular, when viewing the mists over Niagara Falls early or late in the day. Circular rainbows can sometimes be seen from an airplane when it flies over clouds, the rainbow actually encircling the airplane's shadow on the clouds. One way to think about the rainbow is that the mist or rain is like a projection screen, and the rainbow can only be seen where the projection screen is. When the projection screen is large enough, you see the entire circular rainbow.

The rainbow is often depicted inaccurately in pictures. For example, it may be depicted as a three-dimensional object, with perspective<ref>[http://www.porterfieldsfineart.com/josephholodook/images/leprechaun72.jpg Leprechaun] A typical, but utterly unrealistic depiction of a rainbow.</ref>, real rainbows never have this appearance.  This picture also shows the rainbow as if it had separated, sharp-edged bands of color, in the order yellow, orange, red, green, blue. Real rainbows show an extremely subtle blending of color. It is hard to pick out separate colors in a rainbow, but of course to the extent that one can, they appear in the "Roy G. Biv" order, red outermost, then orange, yellow, green, and a range bluish shades which, in a real rainbow, are hard to distinguish and name.

The rainbow is often depicted inaccurately in pictures. For example, it may be depicted as a three-dimensional object, with perspective<ref>[http://www.porterfieldsfineart.com/josephholodook/images/leprechaun72.jpg Leprechaun] A typical, but utterly unrealistic depiction of a rainbow.</ref>, real rainbows never have this appearance.  This picture also shows the rainbow as if it had separated, sharp-edged bands of color, in the order yellow, orange, red, green, blue. Real rainbows show an extremely subtle blending of color. It is hard to pick out separate colors in a rainbow, but of course to the extent that one can, they appear in the "Roy G. Biv" order, red outermost, then orange, yellow, green, and a range bluish shades which, in a real rainbow, are hard to distinguish and name.